Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-09
FOOD FRAUDS.
Tire Shameful Use Of Lime and Alum
i'm Cheap Baking-POwders.

Many food frauds, such as chicory
coffee or watered milk, although they
are n swindle in q commercial sense, are
often tolerated because they do not
particularly affect the health of the con-
sumner but when an article like baking
powder, that enters largely into the
food of every family, and is relied upon
for the beautiful preparation Of almost
every meal, is somade as to carry high
~ injurious, If not rankly poisonous,
clements into the bread, to the immi-
nent danger Of the entire community,
it is the duty of the press to denOunce
the practice in the most emphatic
terms.
Among recent important discoveries
by the food analysts is that by Profes-
sor Mott, the United States Govern
ment chemist, of large amounts of lime
and alum in the cheap baking-powders.
These are, one the most dangerous, and
the other the most useless adulterants
vet found in the lOw-grade, inferior
baking powders. 1t is n startling fact
that of over one hundred different
bands OF baking-powders so far ana
lived, comprising all those sold in this
vicinity, not one Of them, with the
single exception of the Royal Baking
Powder, was found free from both lime
and alum. The chief service of lime
is to add weight. Il Is true that lime,
when subjected to heat, gives off GER
tain amount of carbonic acid gas, but
Il Quick-lime is left-a caustic so pow
eriul that it is used 10y tanners to eat
The hair from hides OF animals, and in
dissectinc-rooms TO more quickly rot
the flesh from the bones OF dead sub
jects. A small quantity of dry lime
uTon the tongue or in the eye produces
painful effects; how much more serious
must these effects he on the delicate
membranes Of the stomach, intestines,
and kidneys, more particularly OF in
fants and children, and especially when
the lime is taken into the system day
after day, end almost with every meal.
This is said by physicians TO be one Of
the chief causes of indigestion, dys-
pepsia, and those painful diseases of
the kidneys now so prevalent. In
stances of the most serious affections
of the latter organs from drinking lime
water found in some sections Of the
West are noted in every medical jour
nal.
Adulteration with lime is quite as
much to be dreaded as with alum, which
has heretofore received the most EN-.
phatic condemnation from every food
analyst, physician, and chemist, for the
reason that, while alum is probably
partially dissolved and passed of in gas
by the heat of baking, it is impossible
to destroy or change the nature of the
lime in any degree, so that the entire
amount in the baking-powder passes,
with all its injurious properties, into the
stomach. When we state that the che
mists have found twelve per cent. or
one eighth Of the entire weight OF some
samples of baking powder analysed to
lie lime the wickednesS OF the adultera-
ton will be fully apparent.
Pure baking-powders are one of the
chief aids to the cook in preparing per-
feet and wholesome food. While those
are TO be obtained of well-established
reputation, like the Royal, of whose
purity there has never been and cannot
be a question, it is proper to avoid all
others.